In Baku, police confiscate all data carriers and photographic equipment from IRFS

On August 8, in Baku, law enforcers came with a search warrant to the office of the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS) in Rashid Bekhbudov Street. The policemen blocked the entrances to the building; and journalists could not watch what was going on near the office, since it is located in a narrow yard.

After a six-hour search in the IRFS office, law enforcers confiscated all the electronic data carriers, photographic equipment, financial documents and materials relating to the organization's human rights activities. The IRFS staff stated that the search was conducted in violation of the law and that the seizure of equipment deprives the IRFS of any possibility to continue its work.

According to the advocate Fariz Namazly, the search warrant was issued by the Sabail District Court of Baku at the request of the Investigating Department of Grave Crimes of the General Prosecutor's Office in connection with the criminal case against "some local NGOs, branches and representative offices of foreign NGOs."

Fariz Namazly has announced the intention to challenge the law enforcers' actions at the Court of Appeal.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.